Case fan and CPU fan questions

[Lord_Kitty]

So, I've finally decided to stop stalking the forums and make a thread for help.

 

I just bought a Corsair 300R and I love it. Except the noise. I was previously using a cheap case with only the stock cooler and it was very quiet.

 

I'll probably need time to get used to it, but I've disconnected the front 140mm (I currently have no graphics card installed).

 

I connected the rear 120mm fan on the second CPU_FAN connector. I set the stock fan to spin only at ~950rpm. The rear fan doesn't spin at all at that speed. Only when the CPU cooler ramps up, it starts spinning.

 

I'm wondering if it is OK to leave it like that?

 

 

Second thing, I'm still thinking what aftermarket cooler to buy. I'm planning to do the same thing, set it to a custom speed so low it doesn't spin and only starts when its needed.

 

So, is something like a Hyper 212 Evo enough to work passively at low loads?

 

 

My motherboard is an ASRock Z77 Extreme3 and the CPU is a 3570K, currently at stock speed, undervolted at -0.200 offset.

[LogicalDrm]

How are your temps on CPU and rest system unders stress? Front fan is more needed to keed hdds/ssds cool than giving fresh air to gpu. But its ok to have case fan on any mobo connector except cpu_fan1. You could also change corsair default fans to some more silent optimized ones. About cooler, 212 Evo is good, don't really know if its quiet enought for your needs.

[Lord_Kitty]

All the temps are OK. The HDD is a bit high, at 38°C. It isn't getting any airflow with the front fan running though. CPU is at max around 60°C with Prime95 blend test.

 

Without the fans connected, I could feel the heat when I removed the side panel and get close to it.

 

I decided to reconnect the front fan and put the rear fan on PWR_FAN. The front 140mm is making the most noise in the system. I will try and replace it as soon as possible.

 

 

EDIT: I moved the front fan to the bottom mount to give a direct airflow to the HDD. I did that while it was running and noticed that its not really the fan that's causing all the noise. Its the piece of metal for the additional drive cage that's causing it. I don't thing a silence optimized fan will reduce the noise.

[Darkfeign]

I had the 400r and the noise level was terrible. I couldn't leave it on at night to sleep, and that was using corsair quiet series AF fans. Either get some quiet noctuas or swap out your case. I went for the Define r4 and it's so quiet, and it's really worth it for the price if you can afford to save up a little.

[Lord_Kitty]

I was looking for the Define R4. But where I live, it cost way too much. It was more than $200. I don't think spending around as much as I did on a CPU to buy a case was worth it. The Bitfenix Ghost was even more than that. So I settled  the 300R, which still cost me around $100.

 

 

I'll swap out the fans and maybe order some noise dampening materials. The noise won't be too bad if it can just reduce the turbulence from the front fan. Currently, I don't see any other way to do that other than cutting of the front metal holding the drive slots.

[nightlitezzz]

I was looking for the Define R4. But where I live, it cost way too much. It was more than $200. I don't think spending around as much as I did on a CPU to buy a case was worth it. The Bitfenix Ghost was even more than that. So I settled  the 300R, which still cost me around $100.

 

 

I'll swap out the fans and maybe order some noise dampening materials. The noise won't be too bad if it can just reduce the turbulence from the front fan. Currently, I don't see any other way to do that other than cutting of the front metal holding the drive slots.

Did you already buy the case? If not, you should give us a place/website to look at so we can help you find one. The 300R shouldn't be that loud. Just get some quieter fans for it such as Gelid Silent 12s.

[Lord_Kitty]

Did you already buy the case? If not, you should give us a place/website to look at so we can help you find one. The 300R shouldn't be that loud. Just get some quieter fans for it such as Gelid Silent 12s.

 

Yes, I already bought it. I'm thinking that its not as loud as I make it sound. I'm just not used to it. With my previous case, I just had the PSU fan and CPU fan running with the side panel almost always open (I'm not using a graphics card right now. I need my PC more for work than for play). It was VERY quiet. Any noise would cover it. Keeping things cool wasn't an issue either.

 

So, yeah, I think I'm used too much to that silence. I already ordered a Noctua NF-P12 to try to see if I can get my sweet silence back.

[Darkfeign]

Is there a chance your fans are running at full speed all the time? Maybe a fan controller will help reduce their speeds and therefore the amount of sound you're experiencing at the front of your case via the intake fans.

[Lord_Kitty]

Is there a chance your fans are running at full speed all the time? Maybe a fan controller will help reduce their speeds and therefore the amount of sound you're experiencing at the front of your case via the intake fans.

 

That's it! I had the fan connected to a 4-pin power connector at the very bottom of my motherboard. It was running at 1300RPM and I could not turn it down. I assumed that it was its lowest speed.

 

I put it in a 3-pin connector and now its running at around 770RPM and its much quieter. I also moved the rear fan from the PWR_FAN to a second 3-pin chassis fan connector. Its turning at around 560RPM instead of 900RPM. The decrease in noise level is immediately noticeable. I can also control both fans now.

 

Thanks all of you for helping.